Educate children not only about bad touch but also about 'virtual touch' of social media - Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has said that educating minor children about sexual harassment by teaching them about 'good touch' and 'bad touch' is not enough to protect them from the dangers of the virtual world. They should also be taught about ‘Virtual Touch’. The Court ordered that its directions be sent to the Delhi Judicial Academy and the Delhi State Legal Services Authority for compliance.

Justice Swarnkanta Sharma, while hearing the petition of Kamlesh Devi, accused in the kidnapping case of a 16-year-old girl, said that the 'virtual touch' education of minors should include teaching about appropriate online behavior, recognizing warning signs of violent behavior, privacy. This should include explaining the importance of settings and online boundaries. Just as children are taught to exercise caution in the physical world, efforts should be made to teach them how to assess the trustworthiness of online contacts and develop skills to protect personal information. The Court directed the concerned stakeholders to include material in the school curriculum regarding virtual touch. Justice Sharma said, the need of the hour is to organize programs, workshops and conferences on the concept of virtual touch in schools and colleges.

A person named Rajeev befriended the minor girl on social media. It is alleged that the girl was later kidnapped and kept hostage for several days. She was sexually harassed and forced to marry a 45-year-old man in exchange for money. Rajeev's mother Kamlesh Devi is also an accused in this case. He had filed a petition for bail in the High Court, which was rejected after the hearing.